INEC Obeys Court Order: Removes APC Name, Logo, Candidates, National Assembly Election In Rivers

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt 

At last, in obedience of the judgment of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt  presided over by Justice  Kolawole Omotosho, the, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has removed  the logo of the APC and names of all its candidates for the National Assembly election from its documents in Rivers State.

The list of political parties and candidates participating in the National Assembly elections has just been published by INEC with APC missing.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers state, Obo Efangha said the Commission had to obey the court order.

Justice James Kolawole Omotosho had in his judgment  issued a restraining order on INEC not to recognize the APC and its candidates for the 2019 general elections in Rivers State.

Justice Omotosho also ordered the APC and all its candidates to stop campaigning and canvassing for votes.

It will recalled that that he court also granted a mandatory order on INEC on Monday January 7, to remove APC candidates from the ballot papers and other electoral materials for the 2019 general elections in the state.

This is as the national leadership of the APC has acknowledged the receipt of the judgement but -stated that it is studying it and will make its position known in due course .

APC’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a said: “We have received the news of the judgement of the Federal High Court regarding our candidates in Rivers State. We are currently studying the decision of the court. We will make our position public in due course.”

While delivering judgement on two separate suits filed by Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and others as well as the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Justice Kolawole Omotosho, nullified all nominations of the APC in Rivers State for the forthcoming elections in 2019.

Omotosho declared that the APC cannot participate in the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections during the 2019 polls in the state.

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He stated that the direct and indirect primaries of the Rivers State APC are illegal, null and void, pointing that both the direct and indirect primaries were held during the pendency of the suit at the Rivers State High Court.

Reacting to the two judgement, counsel to Senator Abe, Mr Henry Bello, said that the court emphasised obedience to its orders, saying that the nullification is the consequence of the imposition of candidates.

However, in his reaction, Chris Finebone, the Publicity Secretary of APC of Amaechi faction, appealed for calm among supporters urging them not to lose faith as there is still window of appeal to the Supreme Courts.